Rare Voting System Flips House Seat

A Democrat who trailed a Republican incumbent in a costly U.S. House race came from behind to emerge as the victor Thursday following extra rounds of tabulations under Maine’s new voting system that’s facing a legal challenge.

Election officials declared Jared Golden the winner, flipping the seat held by two-term Rep. Bruce Poliquin, after a federal judge declined to halt tabulations in the state’s ranked-choice voting system used in last week’s election. It was the first time an incumbent has lost that seat in more than 100 years.

The outcome was a dramatic reversal in the nation’s only test of the ranked-choice voting system used for the first time in U.S. House and Senate races. Golden’s election further strengthens a majority for Democrats who swept into power in the House. His election leaves Sen. Susan Collins, of Maine, the lone Republican member of Congress in New England.

Golden, a Marine Corps veteran, declared himself the “majority consensus winner” and told reporters he wants to bring to Washington, D.C., the type of leadership he saw in the Marines.

“The best leaders were the ones who didn’t worry about who got credit for getting the job done,” he said. “Imagine what Congress could do if we had more leaders like that in Washington?” he added.

The ranked-choice system, approved in 2016, lets voters rank all candidates from first to last on the ballot. If no one gets a majority, then last-place candidates are eliminated and their second-place votes are reallocated.

In this case, Poliquin and Golden both collected 46 percent of first-place votes, with Poliquin maintaining a slim edge of about 2,000 votes. But additional tabulations were triggered because no one collected a majority.

On Thursday, Golden overtook Poliquin after state election officials eliminated two independent candidates who trailed, collectively gathering about 8 percent of first-place votes. A computer algorithm reallocated the second-place votes, giving Golden a lead of nearly 3,000 votes.

Poliquin also said he isn’t abandoning a federal lawsuit in which he seeks to have Maine’s new ranked-choice voting system declared unconstitutional.

The legal challenge by Poliquin and three GOP activists served as the backdrop for the dramatic finale of a hard-fought battle that became the most expensive congressional race in state history.

The lawsuit remains alive even though U.S. District Judge Lance Walker declined Poliquin’s request to stop tabulations.

In his decision, however, the judge said it doesn’t appear the Constitution prohibits an election process with more than one round of ballot counting. He also said it’s plausible the Constitution allows states “sufficient leeway to experiment with the election process.”

Golden said he didn’t think the ongoing litigation would prevent him from being seated in January.

During a press conference, Golden said he’s willing to work with Republicans and that his focus will be on getting things done, not in the ongoing investigations of President Donald Trump. He also said he wouldn’t vote for Democratic California Rep. Nancy Pelosi to serve as House speaker.

Mainers approved ranked-choice voting in a statewide referendum after nine of the previous 11 governors were elected without a majority of the vote.

For now, the ranked-choice voting system is used only in federal races and in statewide primary elections in Maine. It cannot be used in the governor’s race or legislative races because of concerns it runs afoul of the state constitution.

Democratic Gov.-elect Janet Mills has said she will try to amend Maine’s constitution so the system can be used in all elections.

Comments 60

hope avenati ses what assumption of innocence actually meand after this filthy pig wanted to hang kauvenaugh before any evidence cam to thefront none did because d.r ford is a lying filthy bithch and ther is none hankg avenati you filthy slime ball

The judge is probably an Obumer appointee. I am personally so sick for the law breaking, subversive, Demorats and their underhanded way of stealing elections. It’s Chicago elections on steroids. Is this a test so the Demorats will still 2020 presidential elections?

Democrats steal yet another election by fraudulent votes of dead people again and multiple votes that were added after the elections were over! This will lead to yet another civil war before it is over. The Constitution of the USA is being destroyed by socialists Nazis of the democrat party. When the guns begin blazing away I am going to remember ever democrat possible that caused this war!

Hey Golden, what you say and think doesn’t matter when you get in Congress. You vote with Pelosi or else. To say you vote your conscience is a crock, the DEMOCRATS have move to the extreme left and now it’s a communist or at the least it’s a socialist party. Right in the footsteps of Nazis and Stalin’s black shirts

This sounds like a LIBERAL’S dream system. The founders wanted each vote to count but also knew that this would not work due to larger numbers in cities would vote Democratic and less populated areas would not. So those who knew this to be true created the Electoral College which kept Hitlery from getting in because of the UBER LIBERAL areas of New York And Calipornia as well as those in other cities polluted by LIBERALS. But if Maine won’t use their new system in State Elections should SCREAM This is a HOSED UP SYSTEM.

the elections should be the constitutional way this race is to important to change the rule of the vote. and if the change is made it should be done only by a vote. done by the people not the local state or Federal Government. this to me seems to be unconstitutional and the vote. should only be done. when their is not an important race like this one. this seems like an unconstitutional grab for power. the person that has the lead by the one person one vote system. loses to an unproven new computer algorithm system. it seems to be not fair but unconstitutional as well.

Non-sense…California has a voting system that guarantees the democrats always wins…they have honed the voter fraud to a science…and the authorities are well paid to look the other way… works every time!

How is it fair that only the democracts can continue to have votes coming in and not the Republicans it seems the democracts have it all set up for only they can win and no one else. Democracts today are such cheaters they can’t win elections fair

By 2020 this system needs to be fixed. This is not even a little funny! It is actually scary! I live in America and we are supposed to have laws. Then why aren’t the laws followed? The, what used to be called the Democrat Party, but now they are socialists is running our Country now. And they want to bring our Country down. I don’t think the Patriotic Americans will allow it to happen. But if they come after our guns, which they are saying they are going to, then there will be trouble for our Country. I don’t think anyone wants that. I do not. I do however want politicians to be held accountable for their crimes. If a woman loses its sexist and if a black loses it is racist. Maybe they just wasn’t worth a darn. The politicians need to put America first. The citizens need to be first also. No, they want no borders…let anyone in our Country.
Give everyone free schooling and free health care. I believe God gave us Trump and President Trump is trying to drain the swamp but it isn’t easy. President Trump is a smart man and if anyone can figure out how to fix our voting system then he can. God help our Country because the socialist have the house now. And look at the first Muslim woman that was voted into office she hates the Jewish people and between her and that idiot that everyone calls “The democrat darlin” (LOL) it seems we are on our way to living in hell. If it wasn’t so disgusting so ridiculous it would be Funny. The way this election has been handled it is like a third world election. And it is a shame.

Actually, I don’t even think of the dems as socialistic….that wild at least require ‘some thought’, albeit stupid thought. What I claim that party is, & I have for some years, at least back to the 1990’s, IS THEY’RE A “CULT!” Think of what a cult is & they fit that picture. A cult is ALWAYS right, doesn’t need to make sense to most people, dooesn’t have to be honest if the lie is for the good of the cult (read that as “it’s for “the greater good of all”), those lies can even harm physically &/or the reputation of otherwise good honest people (as long as they’re not cultists) & the cult will benefit from it, a cult usually has a “god-like leader” who’s taken to be infallible…& should he fail it’s never his fault….the “others” (usually us on the right) have attacked him unfairly/illegally/or taken illegal advantage & ‘cheated’, a cult will use friends and/or ‘fellow travelers’ in any way possible to win. (Here…think of all this “Russians affecting our elections” BS & that after Obama patted the RUSSIAN Ambassador on the knee after telling him that he (Obama…the g-l leader) will be more flexible for Putin after this (2012) “my last election”. His problem? A video was shooting from across the room. His “no-problem”? Only FOX played it, over & over..but ABC, CBS, NBC, CNN, MSNBC, etc? If at all it was at a time no one was watching. The beauty of the cult is that followers needn’t think at all beyond doing what they’re told, repeating, arguing using the cult’s lines…kind of their “our” version of the truth…which will often be held up as true by their friends in the news media.
When they’re victorious all cultists will celebrate (at least in their hearts)….why not? “WE WON!” So when they won in 2016, we got the sour grapes, the cries of “cheating”, & the “gotta get rid of the Electoral College”…. again. Never mind that ‘them’s the rules’ since 1789 & everyone went into the election knowing it & what was needed to win. Thank GOD the Founding Fathers saw or envisioned these situations & put the Electoral system in place. Only a cult can play that game knowing they have 2 or 3 “outs” if they blow it….& can still make it look like “we woulda won….except for……..!”

A better solution may be runoffs! To me, if a candidate finishes first but with less than 50 % of the vote, then the top two finishers should meet in a runoff. I’m not being partisan or supporting one party or the other, but I’ve seen races in which the winner had far less than 50 % and that’s just wrong.

Sorry…..I do not in any way, shape, form or fashion see how that system can be Constitutional. I would take that all the way to the Supreme Court if I had to. That’s the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever heard in a way to vote in the United States of America!

The communist a.k.a. Democrat party knows no bounds in the election fixing, and they have the audacity to charge Trump with Russia collusion when there is not a scintilla of evidence and there is mountains and mountains of evidence of election fixing by the communist a.k.a. Democrat party and it’s minions. I bet George Soros rigged that election machine! Remember America the communist party only gets by with what we allow it! We are an armed populous guaranteed by the founding fathers to protect ourselves from tyrannical government. Regardless of who is in power

I blame a lot of this on the people stupid enough to vote for a democrat knowing what we know how shady they are in everthing they do It is the only way they can win anything by lying and stealing and cheating the American people Many of them i’m sure are told how to vote when they probably don’t even know what for or who is running Money from the Democrats can buy a lot of votes Probably more than we know about, should not even get to vote at all Non citizens and people that can’t read or write They have to be paid off by someone Dems want to change this country to a a socialist country not make it the best country in the world anymore
They won’t get by with it though since we know what is going on their pea brained minds

That systems literally changes the one vote – one person. I don’t understand why they just have a run off, like every other State in the Union? This rank choice thing sounds a little off to me. Why do they have 6 people running in a general election? Why didn’t they have a primary and get rid of three of them? And then have three in the general? That would have been fairer than this weird rank choice system.

Mark the Date, November 6, 2018 as the date that voters were denied the right of having their vote considered to be relevant as to the outcome of the election. I read the article explaining this confusing process of “how to steal an election” until my eyes crossed and I still do not understand the concept or legality of the process that is described in this article. By the 2020 election we will all need to hire an attorney to go to the polls with us so that we will be able to comprehend how we will need to mark our ballot so that our vote will stand at least a 50% chance that it MIGHT count.

Poliquin is fighting a losing battle because these judges are as crooked as the the rest of the bunch. It has become a legally decided election by the court and the voting public is wasting their time even going to the polls. But that is, of course, the goal of the democrats, discourage the voters. However that is just my opinion.

THis is the third time I’ve tried to comment. Poliquin is fighting a losing battle. These judges are as crooked as the rest of the bunch. It has become an election decided by the court and the voting public is wasting their time even going to the polls. But that is the goal of the democrats. Discourage the voters and keep them from voting. However that is just my opinion but THIS election seems to prove the point.

That is one of the most screwed up procedures I have ever heard of. That system arbitrarily rewards the second place candidate with all the votes of the person in last. If there are 4 people in the race, are the last two reallocated to the 2nd place person? Sounds like the people on Maine were bamboozled by this scheme or they are completely stupid.

In my view, the DNC and ALL OF ITS SUPPORTERS are committing TREASON. IOW, they are TRAITORS who are demanding we true Americans must dance to their rancid and diabolical tunes. As our government has ceased to function, in fact has no CLUE what its functions ARE, and that dysfunctional government is abetting the Traitors by not punishing them. Very few people seem to not think of it as treason, but I will consider it treason until I die, and that death may well be facilitated by the Treasonous left.

Definition of traitor
1 : one who betrays another’s trust or is false to an obligation or duty
2 : one who commits treason

Definition of treason
1 : the offense of attempting by overt acts to overthrow the government of the state to which the offender owes allegiance or to kill or personally injure the sovereign or the sovereign’s family
2 : the betrayal of a trust : treachery

I live in Maine and have never supported rank choice voting……but of course ,lots of brain dead Maine Democrats voted for this unfair and confusing method…….because it muddies the waters and a lot of people don’t understand how it works. I am disgusted with the political climate in Maine…..aggressive and dishonest Democrats seem to be digging in here and trying to take over……unfortunately my family is here in Maine or I would get the hell out of here and move somewhere where common sense and fairness keep things from turning blue!

I like his attitude that it doesn’t matter who gets credit as long as the job gets done. Too bad that isn’t the mindset in DC at this time. I’m in my 70’s so have voted for a LONG TIME. Until this last May I was always a democrat, but walked away because of the party ideologies of late. Never in all my time did I vote a straight party ticket, I voted for the person I felt would GET THE JOB DONE, it didn’t matter if he/she was demo/rep/independent. Until a number of years ago, this appeared to be the way of all, but now there is so much me, me, me, I, I, I in politics and it seems to only be about the money in each individuals pocket, not helping “we the people” who put them there to work for US. How sad for the USA.

Democrats perfect way to steal an election. Big News is Republicans may never win another election under the new rigged system. Got to hand it to them. Anything goes as long as it produces another win. You may as well get use to being a slave and paying high taxes and saying yas-sar boss man.

POSSIBLE SOLUTION: mail in ballots sent return reciept requested (for this particular situation usps waives charge) Burn every voting machine. Hand ballots, results hand counted by a Republican and Democrat representative. I know it would take major time. Voter IDs in every state. Register to vote before election.

Hand ballots, hand count by Republican and Democrat representative, mail in ballots sent registered return receipt requested, USPS waives charges for voter ballots. Counted by a Republican and Democrat representative. Voter photo IDs all 50 states, must register before election. Major time I know but thats about the only way I can think of to get as accurate as possible. Also, all people charged with handling ballots Fed back round check. With Federal Criminal charges and sentences.

If we had a doj who protected us from these ilegal voting rules then there would be no question who won the race!!!! Look at Florida, they have been doing crooked elections for years but the doj has refused to step in, maybe thios whitaker will have the balls to do something.

Roy is wright all 50 states need to go by the voting sis-tons that we had in 2000 and every one needs to show a card that say he or she is able to vote!! we need a card for every thing else so that is a way to keep people that is not legal from voting

This guy is just like any other Democrat. He admits he want the U.S. to be run like the Marine Corp. How is the Marine Corp run? THEY tell you what to do and when to do it and you have NO choice but to do it. That is exactly what the Democrats want for the U.S. They want the government (THEMSELVES) to be able to tell YOU want to do and when to do it and your only option is to do it. Refreshing that a Democrat actually admits that this is what they want to do.

HEADS UP, DOWNEASTERS! When did this come about in Maine and how?? Who introduced this bill to begin with?? Who keeps changing the rules in our election systems? I think we DO need FEDERAL LAWS to keep all elections honest and free of rigging and fraudulent voting!! Is it really such a confusing process?? We need to enact a law that makes voting rules CONSISTENT in States! And we should start with mandatory State/Federal Photo ID cards!! No card – you don’t vote!! See?? Easy solution so no confusion!!It seems some democrat controlled states keep changing horses in midstream – to their benefit!! Maine is slowly drifting down the river without a paddle!! Will the voters unite to save her? That remains to be seen!